Flight Details
The pilot flew from Long Beach to Catalina, where he had lunch. After departing Catalina, the aircraft experienced a total loss of engine power during cruise flight. According to the pilot's account, he believed he had 17 gallons of fuel in each tank when he departed Long Beach. He did not refuel the aircraft at Catalina and did not visually verify the quantity of fuel in the two wing fuel tanks before taking off.
Fuel Management
After flying for several minutes, the engine lost power. The pilot observed that one fuel tank gauge registered "empty," while the other gauge registered 1/4 tank, then decreased to 1/8 tank of fuel remaining. Engine power was briefly restored momentarily, but was subsequently lost completely.
According to the aircraft rental firm's records, when the accident pilot departed Long Beach, the airplane had previously been operated for 2.1 hours since its last refueling to the level of the filler neck 17-gallon indicator tabs. Post-crash examination of the airplane's recording hour meter indicated that the pilot had flown for 1.4 hours, resulting in a combined total of 3.5 hours since the last refueling.
Forced Landing
The pilot attempted a forced landing on the runway but impacted the ground before reaching it.